Pleated curtain construction and method of making same



E. J. LEPOW ,0 ,938

PLEATED CURTAIN CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME April 3, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 21, 1961 Aprll 3, 1962 E. J. LEPOW 3,027,938

PLEATED CURTAIN CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Aug. 21, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I!!! IIIIIII/lllllll 1111/11/11 [11111;

United States Patent G 3,027,938 PLEATED CURTAIN CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD OF MAKEIG SAME Edward J. Lepow, Far Rockaway, N.Y., assignor to Home Curtain Corporation, Far Rockaway, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 132,867 3 Claims. (Cl. 160-348) This invention relates generally to the field of curtains and draperies, and more particularly to an improved pleated curtain or drape of the so-called triple pleat type.

In draperies embodying this construction, permanently stitched triple pleats are provided at the upper edge of the drape to allow additional fullness in the body of the drape, whereby the same will avoid a stretched or taut appearance when hung. In conventional construction, these pleats are provided at threeor four-inch intervals, and the formation of the triple pleat can require as much as two or three inches of material at the point where the pleat is formed. As the amount of material required to form the pleat is, therefore, a substantial amount of the total amount of goods required to form the drape, this type of construction is economically restricted to higher priced drapes.

It is among the principal objects of the present invention to provide a pleat construction which will provide substantially the identical appearance with that of conventional triple pleat construction, while requiring less material, whereby the cost of the material and total cost of fabrication may be materially reduced.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved pleat construction which will require substantially less material in fabrication of the same as contrasted with conventional construction, which will nevertheless provide adequate fullness, and in which the altered construction will be substantially undetectable when the curtain or drape is in use.

Still another object of the invention lies in the provision of a false pleat member which may be interconnected to the goods forming a drape at substantially equal periodic intervals, which false pleat member may be used as a guide for the formation of adjacent pleats, thereby simplifying the forming and the sewing of the pleats as contrasted with conventional construction.

A feature of the invention lies in the ready adaptability of the improved construction to a wide variety of drapery materials.

These objects and features, as Well as other incidental ends and advantages, will more fully appear in the progress of the following disclosure, and be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, to which reference will be made in the specification, similar reference characters have been employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a first embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a view in elevation of a false pleat member forming a part of the first embodiment, prior to subsequent folding and interconnection of the longer free edges thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view in elevation showing a false pleat member in interconnected condition and positioned upon the edge portion of a length of material prior to the formation of outer pleat portions.

FIGURE 4 is a view in perspective showing a formed false pleat member.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view as seen from the plane 55 in FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view in perspective show- 3,027,938 Patented Apr. 3, 1962 ing a completed triple pleat in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal fragmentary sectional view as seen from the plane 77 in FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a horizontal fragmentary sectional view as seen from the plane 8-8 in FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing a first stage in the fabrication of a second embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the side opposite that seen in FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing a second stage in the formation of the second embodiment.

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing a third or completed stage in the fabrication of the second embodiment.

FIGURE 13 is a front elevational view as seen from the right-hand portion of FIGURE 12.

FIGURE 14 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view as seen from the plane 1414 in FIGURE 12.

FIGURE 15 is a horizontal fragmentary sectional view as seen from the plane 15--15 in FIGURE 13.

In accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, the device, generally indicated by reference character 10, resembles a conventional drapery, including a plurality of planar upper sections 11, and a plurality of pleated sections 12.

The pleated sections 12 are caused to extend outwardly from between the planar sections 11 by stitch means 13 (see FIGURES 7 and 8), the remaining unstitched portion 15 being permitted to flare as shown in FIGURE 6. The portion 15 includes a first bight-forming member 17, a second bight-forming member 13, and a false bight-forming member 19 terminating at a point slightly below the laterally extending stitch means 20.

The first bight-forming member 17 is conventional, including an outer side 21, a curved outer edge 22' and an inner side 23 leading to a curved inner end 24. The second bight-forming member 18 commences at the end 24 and includes an inner side 26, a curved outer edge 27 and an outer side 28.

The false bight-forming member 19 is of abbreviated length, and extends only from the upper edge of the curtain 10, generally indicated by reference character 25, to slightly below the stitch means 20. It includes first and second sides 30 and 31, respectively, having abutted inner edges 3233 and a curved outer end 34. The upper edge 35 thereof is aligned with the upper edges 36 of the members 17 and 18, while the lower edge 37 is substantially concealed from view by the constricting effect of the stitch means 20.

In production, the false bight-forming member 19 is preferably formed from an elongated blank of material 39 (see FIGURE 2). The blank 39 is integrated along the longer free edges thereof, preferably by an overlocking sewing machine, to present the appearance shown in FIGURE 4. In the preferred form of production, this may be performed a a continuous operation, and the member 19 cut to desired length at periodic intervals after such interconnection. Next, the completed member 19 is placed adjacent the upper edge 25 of the curtain body in flattened condition, and interconnected by a line of stitches 40 as seen in FIGURE 3. The stitches 40 are substantially concealed from view once the pleated portions 12. have been completed (see FIGURE 7). In the next step, the bight-forming members 17 and 13 are formed together with the folded inner end 24, using the member 19 as a guide, and the stitch means 13 and 20 applied. Upon the completion of this operation, the curtain will have the appearance shown in FIGURES 1 and 6, wherein the outward appearance of three full pleats is provided, while using material in the body of the curtain equivalent to two pleats, thus saving approximately one to one and a half inches at each pleated portion 12. Because the formation of the members 17 and 18 will normally provide adequate fullness, the absence of the center bight extending downwardly through the entire height of the curtain 10 is not readily noticed.

Turning now to the second embodiment of the invention as illustrated in FIGURES 9 to 15, inclusive, in the drawing, parts corresponding to those of the first embodiment have been designated by similar reference characters with the additional prefix 1.

The second embodiment of the invention differs from the first embodiment in the elimination of stitch means 40, and the interconnection of the false pleat member by staples of the conventional wire type indicated by refer ence character 14011. It Will be observed that the staples 140a penetrate material on both sides of the inwardly disposed fold 124, wherein the false pleat member will be held in the erect condition shown in FIGURES 9 and 10 upon the application of tension to the upper edge 125 of the curtain. Where relatively stiff curtain materials are employed, this construction is preferable to that of the first embodiment, as tension transmitted through the interconnecting means is equalized.

I wish it to be understood that I do not consider the invention limited to the precise details of structure shown and set forth in this specification, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

I claim:

1. In a method for forming a pleated curtain including a pair of generally planar sections interconnected by a stitched pleated portion, the steps of: forming a separate tubular false bight-forming member of length corresponding to that of said stitched pleated portion, interconnecting said false bight-forming member to said curtain in the area in which said stitched pleated portion is to be located, forming first and second outer pleat bight-forming members around said false bight-forming member, and interconnecting by stitch means said false bight-forming member and said outer pleat bight-forming members together in the area of the lower edge of said false bight-forming member.

2. In a method for forming a pleated curtain including a pair of generally planar sections interconnected by a stitched pleated portion, the steps of: forming a separate tubular false bight-forming member of length corresponding to that of said stitched pleated portion, interconnecting said false bight-forming member to said curtain in the area in which said stitched pleated portion is to be located, forming first and second outer pleat bight-forming members around said false bight-forming member, and interconnecting said false bight-forining member and said outer pleat bight-forming members together in the area of the lower edge of said false bight-forming memher.

3. In a pleated curtain construction, including a pair of generally planar sections of predetermined height, interconnected by a stitched pleated portion in the area of the upper edge thereof of length substantially less than said height of said curtain construction, the improvement comprising: said pleated portion including first and second outer pleat bight-forming members extending generally perpendicularly from the plane of said planar sections, said bight-forming members forming an inwardly turned fold, and a separately formed false bight-forming pleat-simulating member of tubular configuration and of length corresponding to that of said stitched pleat portion, said false bight-forming member being interconnected within said inwardly turned fold and adjacent each of said first and second outer pleat bight-forming members, said false bight-forming member extending perpendicularly from the plane of said planar sections a distance corresponding to that of said first and second outer pleat bight-forming members to simulate a third intermediate pleat member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,432,557 Broughton Dec. 16, 1947 2,874,772 DWyer Feb. 24, 1959 2,956,362 James Oct. 18, 1960 

